The Only Thing
by Steele Stingray
Summary: Tony Stark has a riddle to solve in 48 hours, and if not, something terrible will happen to him...something he could not possibly recover from. Relying on the help of Jarvis, Thor, SHIELD, and, naturally, Pepper, Tony hopes to end the mad puzzle set before him and keep anyone from getting hurt. Tony/Pepper, hinted Natasha/Hawkeye. Rated M.
1. Your Survival is Beyond My Comprehension

** Author's Note: **This is unusual for me, as I usually stay in the realm of video games, but I've become obsessed with Iron Man recently. It's probably due to the Avengers film... Anyway, here's my first crack at an Iron Man story and since I don't read the comics religiously, please don't rake me across the coals if I make mistakes. I may also make reference to other Marvel characters and please disregard any anomalies between this story and the films (especially the Stark/Potts relationship as of the first chapter). I'm just having fun with getting them together in my way. Enjoy!

**The Crucial Riddle**

**Chapter 1: Your Survival is Beyond My Comprehension**

Virginia 'Pepper' Potts learned fairly early on in her job to never wear white shoes if she was planning on visiting Stark Tower, especially the top ten or fifteen floors. As the elevator took her to the top floors of the gleaming skyscraper, she sighed deeply. Delicately, she picked her way across the hardwood floor, trying to avoid large patches of motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, and some sort of mystery fluid that was cloudy in color. On top of that, she also had to sidestep giant coils of copper wires, thousands of tools and parts, and several gizmos of whose functions she did not know. Another day in Stark Industries.

Several of her friends suggested that she should find a new position. Pepper was capable enough, with all the proper credentials and a university education; she was not bad looking either: slender and leggy, with strawberry blonde hair that curled at the tips, high freckled cheeks, and hazel eyes. No doubt she would get any post she applied for, even a CEO position was not out of her reach.

But she liked working for Mr. Stark, even as a secretary.

"Good afternoon Miss Potts. Welcome back. Mr. Stark will be most pleased." Jarvis' crisp British accent echoed across the spacious entrance.

"Good afternoon, Jarvis." Pepper had gotten over her inhibitions of talking to a computer, especially since Jarvis was one of the more polite men she had encountered working in Stark Industries. "Where is Tony?"

Jarvis sounded sheepish. "Last I checked, he had passed out in the lab with a bottle of scotch after having an epiphany. Apparently, whatever he was working on this past week, he's finished."

Pepper fought the urge to roll her eyes. "That explains the mess, I suppose." She avoided a large patch of oil from getting on her dark pumps. "I was only away for five days."

Even after hearing that her boss was unconscious, Pepper took her time going down to the lab. First, she cleared a pile of blueprints and broken metal bits from the table to make room for her briefcase and the files for Tony. After turning off a burning welding torch, only then did she pick her way down to the basement in search of her wayward boss. Unfortunately, the closer she got to the lab, the messier it became, and soon she had to resort to kicking things out of the way.

Tony Stark was slumped over his worktable, a nearly empty bottle of scotch in one hand and his phone in the other. His face was pressed firmly into the blank computer screen and his dark hair stuck up in all directions. It wouldn't have surprised Pepper if this was his first time sleeping since she'd been gone.

"Mr. Stark." She called, trying her best not to trip. "Mr. Stark! _AHH_!" Despite her best efforts, Pepper tripped over something and squealed as she plummeted toward the ground. She reached out her hands to stop her fall.

An arm that was covered entirely with some sort of metal alloy shot out and snatched Pepper around the waist, hoisting her up so she was face to face with the groggy Tony Stark. He managed a smile for her, despite his exhaustion. In her heels, Pepper was about a half an inch taller than he was, and she knew it bothered him.

"Good morning, Miss Potts." He set her on her feet, the bottle of scotch still in his hand.

Pepper stepped out of Tony's arms as businesslike as she could possibly be. Being unflappable was a virtue she needed as his personal secretary. "It's afternoon, Mr. Stark."

He looked surprised. "Afternoon? Aren't you back kind of early?" He looked at his wrist and realized that his watch was absent, replaced by layer of metal plating. He began to strip off the armor and look for his watch at the same time.

"I've actually come back late. Mr. Stark, can you really not keep track of time without me? Is this the first time you've been asleep since I've been gone?" Both were rhetorical questions. Tony wouldn't remember to breathe without her and the dark circles under his brown eyes were proof enough that he hadn't slept.

"I'm not tired." He insisted, his eyes gleaming madly. "Let me show you what I've come up with. Jarvis!"

Pepper stopped him before he could launch into his technological babble.

Tony's strong jaw was covered in sable scruff and his white shirt was stained with all sorts of dark fluids. If sleep was second to work, then hygiene was somewhere further down the list. He smiled rakishly, as if he knew what she was thinking. Pepper stood up straight and smoothed her navy dress.

"First, shower and shave. Then, by all means…"

Tony drank the rest of his scotch in one gulp. "Miss Potts, what would I ever do without you? Keeping me on the right track…" He gave her a smile that would have caused a lesser woman's underwear to drop. But Pepper was extraordinary.

"Flattery won't do you any good, Mr. Stark." She tried very hard to remain professional. "Work comes before pleasure."

"If you say so." He yawned insolently. His priorities were a little a skewed all of the time. "I'll come back presentable." With a tiny bow and a wink, Tony Stark disappeared up the steps, also kicking things out of the way as he walked.

When he was out of sight, Pepper sat down hard in the chair he had vacated. Tony Stark was swarthy, darkly handsome, with sable hair and wickedly sparkling brown eyes; but despite his good looks, he was a handful. Selfish, vain, attention-seeking, and devil-may-care with no hand for business, relationships, or self-preservation…Pepper had her work cut out for her.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes Miss Potts?"

"Did Tony drink all of the scotch?"

"I'm afraid so. Shall I order some for you? I'm sure Captain Rogers would be willing to pick it up."

Pepper shook her head. "No. I'm just making sure that Tony won't be able to drink any more. Thank you Jarvis."

"My pleasure."

….

Tony Stark stepped out of his shower about an hour and a half later.

It was the kind of shower that sprayed jets of hot water in time with music. He often spent at least an hour in his bathroom every day, as it offered a convenient excuse not to see people he didn't like. The list was long. As one of the few people he could stand, it was wonderful to have Pepper back. He didn't like when anything took her away from him, even if it was for work.

Time had seemed to slow down the moment she left, and to ease his boredom Tony had tossed himself headfirst into his work. It seemed to him that she had only been gone for a day or two, when really five days had passed. Still, she was back now, and Tony's world was right again.

"Jarvis?" He barked. Another feature of his luxurious bathroom that made him particularly proud was that he had installed Jarvis there as well, giving him access to the Internet even as he bathed.

"Yes, sir?" Jarvis' dry monotone voice cut through the muggy air of the bathroom.

Tony scratched his wet hair. "Ummm…where did Pepper go this past week, and why?" It was not his job to remember these kinds of things; those tasks fell to Jarvis and Pepper.

Jarvis sounded slightly amused at Tony's inability to function. "At Colonel Fury's request," Tony made a face, "she went, in your stead, to Arizona to pick up case work and files of S.H.I.E.L.D. and reported to him on the progress of Stark Tower."

Tony searched for a pair of pants. Ever since he had made the spur-of-the-moment decision to convert a good deal of Stark Tower into quarters for the S.H.I.E.L.D.-operated task force, The Avengers, he had agents up his ass on a near-regular basis. He liked to do what he wanted to, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was severely fucking up his ability to do so. And at their head was cantankerous, iron-balled, one-eyed Colonel Nick Fury, who seemed intent on dragging Tony out of his tower and being pro-active in society. Thank god for Pepper then.

"There are still the files then…" Tony groaned, "I wonder what they're all about…I suppose I'll find out soon enough then."

After tapping on the glowing blue arc reactor that was melded to his chest, Tony threw his dirty, oil-stained clothes into his hamper (he had no idea where the hamper had come from; probably a well-meant gift from Pepper or Cap, who was continuously horrified by Tony's messiness). Upon finding the first clean shirt that did not require him to fasten buttons, Tony slid it on and made his way back to the living area.

The magnificent view from his wall of windows, showcased that he had been even more off on the time than he originally thought, as the sun was already setting over the city of Manhattan.

Tony knocked his things aside carelessly, sending metal parts and canisters of fluids cascading to the floor in a cacophony of metal clashes. He would clean it up later.

"Pepper?" He asked loudly, as the entrance hall seemed empty on whole.

Jarvis was whispering, unusual for him. "Sir, I might suggest that you keep your voice down. It appears that you aren't the only who has experienced lack of sleep as of late." Tony, curious, made a more conscious effort to be quiet. "She's on the couch, sir."

Tony crept up softly to the back of one of his black leather couches and peered over the edge. Sure enough, Pepper was out cold, her strawberry hair fanned out across the dark leather, a tiny bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth. He refused to look down from her face at the risk of realizing her dark dress did not constitute as proper sleepwear. With two fingers, he lightly traced the near-invisible freckles on her forehead, just underneath her bangs.

"Jarvis," He hissed. "Where's the closest blanket?"

"Stained or non-stained?"

"_Is that a question?_"

"Closest clean blanket is underneath the bar. You put it there in case you passed out due to increased blood alcohol levels."

Tony shrugged as he moved toward his neatly stocked bar. "Sounds like a good plan, knowing me." Leaping over the wooden counter, he accidentally upended a pyramid of empty paint cans, wincing as they rained to the floor with a hollow crash. "Jarvis?"

"Vital stats show that Miss Potts is still asleep. Might I suggest avoiding the paint cans next time?"

"Duly noted." Tony said, rummaging around underneath the bar. "Ah, there's my spare Geiger counter. I thought Banner stole it. I'll have to formally apologize…and buy him a new watch. There's the blanket." With a flourish that almost upended a bottle of vodka, Tony produced a blanket and proceeded to work his way slowly back to sleeping Pepper, avoiding all paint cans. "Why is there paint out here?"

"At some point in your drunken stupor you mentioned something about painting the interior of your guest room." Jarvis said in dry amusement.

"I have a guest room?" Tony replied in confusion. He rarely had guests, and much less let them stay over. "I'll have to fix that as soon as possible."

Coming back to Pepper, he smiled fondly. Pepper was the exception to the guest rule. Gently as he was able, Tony draped the cloth over her, from feet to shoulders, tucking the sides in around her. It was a very parental action that Pepper had often bestowed on Tony when he was very drunk or very sick; he liked the feeling, as his parents never tucked him in when he was a child.

Usually Pepper looked very harried and intense, but in sleep, she was at peace and even sweet-looking. Tony smiled and patted one of her cheeks.

Without warning, her eyes fluttered open and Tony yanked his hand back. Looking around, she noticed her position as her boss smiled down at her. She sat up quickly, blushing a most unbecoming shade of pink.

"Mr. Stark! I'm so sorry. I was waiting for you down here and you were taking forever, and I haven't slept for a while, so I just…I swear, I was only asleep for a minute. I'm sorry." She swung her legs over the couch as though she was prepared to get up.

Softly, Tony grabbed her by the shoulders, secretly marveling in how tiny her bones were. "Pepper." He said intensely, looking her right in the eye. "It's ok. You have every right to take a break. I don't mind in the least." He smiled so that she would know he meant it.

Pepper took in all that he was saying and once she realized that he wasn't angry, her eyes got heavy again. With the slightest effort, Tony pushed her back down onto the couch and she complied, curling up into a ball. He patted her shoulder.

"You don't mind…if I wait to see…what you made?"

"Not at all." Tony replied cheerfully. "I'll just sit and read these…_files _you brought back for me." He said 'files' like it was a swearword. "Maybe I'll have some more scotch too."

Pepper smiled to herself. "Whatever you say, Mr. Stark."

"Good night, Miss Potts." He replied, adjusting the blanket again so it covered every bare inch of her, save her face. For a split second, looking at her serene face, Tony felt the very strong urge to kiss her; not anything as passionate as the lips, but perhaps the forehead or the cheeks. A thank-you kiss, in other words.

For Tony, most women came with urge for a passionate kiss on the lips or something even further beyond that. But with Pepper it was more like he wanted her to know how much he appreciated her efforts, even as she slept while she was supposed to be working. Still, he fought back the urge as he got the feeling she wouldn't take kindly to the gesture. He stepped away from his sleeping secretary.

"Jarvis, dim the lights." Tony ordered.

"But, sir, how will you read the documents from S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Irrelevant." Tony replied, waving his hand in the air. "Dim the lights. I'm getting scotch."

"Whatever you say, sir."

Despite all of his other shortcomings, Tony liked to be a man of his word (most of the time…for Pepper, at least), and before going back down to his lab, he glanced at the S.H.I.E.L.D files and grimaced, but took them down with him as Pepper slept.


	2. Away With the Titles

** Author's Note: **Let me just say, I love Tony Stark. I love him because he's such a narcissistic asshole, so any bouts of morality on his part are just astonishing. I hope I do his magnificently awful personality justice. That's why the rest of the story will be from his POV.

**Chapter 2: Away With the Titles**

"Well this is just peachy! Just fucking _peachy_!" Tony exclaimed, his molars aching for alcohol as he tossed the manila envelopes aside. He hoped that doing so would cause them to vanish from existence altogether. "Tell me Jarvis, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is _such _a crucial division of earth's security, why do they equip themselves with the shitty type of firewall software that any mediocre hacker could get into and, oh say, _take all of my information_? Riddle me that, Jarvis?" He kicked something made of glass, taking comfort in its' destruction.

"Not everyone can be you, sir." Jarvis said lightly, appealing to Tony's ego. "If it is any consolation, no hacker has broken into your personal mainframe. Also, if anyone is impersonating you, surely I will be able to detect it immediately."

Tony sighed, leaning his head back. "That's not what I'm worried about…"

It was not only his file that had been stolen, but also Cap's, Banner's, and Thor's; the thief had cut straight to the chase as well, and done away with things like credit card and social security numbers, instead going for the important bits. Addresses, contacts, known enemies, in other words, the things that could hurt…Tony was concerned.

Thor was not a large problem. As he was away in Asgard, it would be nearly impossible to attack him outright and most of his earthly contacts were employed by S.H.I.E.L.D. They would be safe on whole.

Cap was also good, as most of his contacts were deceased, although basically any innocent civilian could be used as bait for him. Despite his fear of making new friends after losing all his old ones so abruptly, Cap was a softy for people in general.

No, Tony was most worried about himself and Banner.

Banner, Tony's close friend (one of the few who had spent the night with Tony's permission) and the absolute last person who needed more stress in his life, had only two names stolen from his dossier. The first was a woman Banner had mentioned only once or twice to Tony, a certain Elizabeth Ross, but once or twice had been enough for Tony to ascertain that Bruce loved her enough to stay the hell away from her, even though it hurt them both terribly.

The second person was Thaddeus Ross, a general with a record that stupefied even Stark. Of all the enemies to have, Bruce had the worst luck. Not only was General Ross powerful, influential, and determined, the file also noted that he was incredibly overprotective of his only daughter…Elizabeth Ross. Tony whistled. Of all the women in the world, daughters of military men were absolutely off-limits for Tony, lest he hurt them (and he definitely would), leading their fathers to promptly destroy him.

"She better be worth it, Banner…" He mumbled, feeling unusual pity for his friend.

He made a mental note to look up Elizabeth Ross, later on, but now he was focused on his own problems.

He had the largest list of things stolen, and although he didn't give a fuck about half the people listed, his damn conscience (aka. Steve Rogers) would guilt him into caring. At least Pepper was safe upstairs and Rhodes was on a military base and was, therefore, basically untouchable.

"Sir, what has S.H.I.E.L.D. asked you to do?" Jarvis asked.

Tony twisted his lips in annoyance. "Natasha managed to grab the encrypted code the hackers were using, but S.H.I.E.L.D," he said so with a great sigh, "does not have the proper equipment to trace it back to the source. Guess who can do so?"

"Shall I input the code?"

"Not now. I'm tired." Tony complained. Really, he was not so much tired as he was bored and completely unwilling to volunteer his services without paid compensation. "Is Pepper awake?"

"Indeed, sir. She is currently trying to tidy up the main foyer as compensation for sleeping on the job. I'm afraid if you don't stop her she may throw something away…"

"NO!" Tony yelped, scrambling to his feet. Everything in his way was knocked aside as he raced up the steps. "PEPPER?" He nearly collided with her at the top of the steps but she deftly moved out of the way, although it caused her to drop everything she was holding.

Pepper stomped her foot, a movement that usually cowed Tony into obedience. "What in god's name?"

Tony put both his palms up in an effort to calm her. "Did you throw anything away?" He tried his best not to sound like a crazed maniac.

Pepper looked indignant, her brown eyes glinting. "Of course I did!" Tony felt his face twist into a mask of horror and Pepper began to talk very quickly. "Tony, they were dirty rags, empty paint cans, broken things with…with pointy wires coming out the ends! Some of the stuff had been set on fire and-!"

The verbal sparring match began.

Whenever Tony and Pepper had a point of contention, they did away with 'Mr. Stark' and 'Miss Potts' and it came down to who could speak the loudest and the quickest in order to make their point.

"Tony! I had to get rid of it! None of it served-." "That's what you always say, and then the moment I throw something away I need it and-." "Since when do you need empty paint cans? Why do you _have _paint cans in the first place?" "I was apparently trying to paint the guest room and I-." "We have a guest room?" "I'm working on fixing that, as soon as possible. Until then I will leave this here and we can move it-." "MOVE IT WHERE? Tony, I can put paintings and art and inventions in storage, but trash?" "I never _said _we had to put it in storage! Just give me a few days or weeks and-hey! Put that down!" "I refuse! I'm getting rid of it!" "I'll fire you!" "I'd like to see you try!" "PEPPER! I'm serious!" "So am I! I refuse to set foot in this tower again unless we get rid of some of this junk _now_!"

The argument ended then, as Pepper clutched some sort of gadget to her chest as though Tony was intent on ripping it from her arms. Tony, meanwhile, was practically pulling his hair out as he struggled to come up with a solution.

"Fine." He hissed.

"Fine?"

"Fine. But!" He held up one finger. "You have to stay here tonight."

"What?" Pepper instantly protested, tossing whatever she was holding to the side. "Why do I have to stay here?"

"Security issues." Tony replied in nonchalance. "I assume you read the reports from Fury? Well, this way you can help me clean and I can keep an eye on you. Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

Pepper was flabbergasted. "I can't go back to my apartment? Not even for a change of clothes? They're not targeting _me, _Tony!"

"Nope, you can't go. Someone out there has your information." Tony grinned wickedly; he may have lost the previous argument, but he was winning this one. "Don't worry! You can borrow my clothes."

"I don't want to borrow your clothes! Didn't you set up a security system at my apartment?"

"Yes…but I don't trust it."

"_You _installed it!"

"Pepper." Tony dropped his playful attitude for a more serious tone as he took hold of her freckled shoulders. "Pepper, I don't trust anything right now. Just…please, humor me. I'm going to go check your apartment after I trace the code Fury gave me. I know you hate this, and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable but…please. You'll be safer here until I figure out who's behind this. Believe me, I want to be done with this mission as soon as I can." He smiled again, hoping that a dose of sincerity would sway her decision.

Pepper bit her lip. "Ok." She conceded. "I guess can stay here for one night…But I refuse to wear any of your clothes."

"Good." Tony grinned widely. "I was just kidding anyway. You hold down the fort, Pep, and I'll go trace this address. It's probably just some international hotshot who thinks they can blackmail us. Jarvis!" Tony cracked his knuckles and entered in the IP address.

As Jarvis was searching, Pepper continued to pick up metal bits and organize them into piles indiscernible to Tony; he hoped to god he would be back in time before she disposed of anything important. "Before you go, what was it you wanted to show me? Something you made?"

Tony brightened. "Oh yes! I've upgraded the surveillance systems so even if the power is cut or Jarvis is disabled, I can continue to record the happenings of Stark Tower."

Pepper wasn't impressed. "So…basically you're using it as an excuse to stalk whoever you bring back to the apartment." Tony laughed and Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Sir." Jarvis said. "I have acquired the location of hacker. I am currently uploading the GPS coordinates into your Mark 9 suit. Upload will complete in two minutes."

Tony winked at Pepper. "That's my cue, I suppose."

Pepper sighed, accentuating her thin collarbones. "I guess now is my turn to tell you to be careful…but knowing you, that's probably not possible. Please…just come back in one piece Mr. Stark. I don't like handling hospital bills."

Tony kissed her freckled cheek and, to his immense delight, she didn't stiffen in discomfort. "Don't worry, Miss Potts. I'll come back for you…as usual."

….

Tony felt that flying in his Iron Man suit was second in 'most pleasurable experiences' right behind having an orgasm. The feeling of sheer power that pulsed through his arms and legs left him breathless after a long flight. The world was literally at his fingertips.

He leisurely followed the route illuminated in front of his vision, imagining how the whole ordeal would go down.

Although he was not as physically impressive as Thor or Cap or even Natasha, seeing the catchy red and gold suit, paired with a weapons arsenal that could destroy an entire navy, Tony did manage to get what he wanted most: attention. He imagined floating lazily into whatever crudely designed and secured base the hackers had established, surprising them all. Jarvis would provide him with the crucial information of every person present and he would promptly humiliate them with his vast knowledge of their personal lives. If necessary, he would use a little force, but mostly he was interested in hacking into their mainframe. He would make them regret ever touching anything that belonged to Tony Stark.

He smiled at the thought.

"Sir, we are approaching our destination." Jarvis said crisply. "Shall I prepare you for battle mode?"

"Sounds good."

As he reached his destination, Tony was mildly surprised. Instead of a warehouse or a shady-looking apartment complex or even an abandoned building (as cliché as such a thing would be), the building in question was actually a perfectly pristine office building, advertising floors that still needed to be rented out. Set in the suburbs, it actually looked brand-new; hardly the base of operations for someone who could hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files.

"Jarvis? Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Positive, sir."

Tony shrugged and followed Jarvis' path, rocketing through the entrance, heedless of glass or alarm systems; he would reimburse the contractors for the glass, and Jarvis had already disabled the alarms. So easy to beat amateurs…

Tony lazily searched every floor, most of them large and empty, waiting for some small-time firm to occupy the monotonous gray space. This was looking to be a waste of his time and patience, as he had originally thought. He was getting bored.

He flew slowly around the stairwell to the final floor. "Jarvis, this is nonsense. When I get out of here, I'd like you to contact Nick and tell him…_shit_."

Tony felt the cold sweat break out on his forehead as he surveyed the chaos of the top floor. Large scale computers were set up across the entire area, but most of them were smashed and smoldering, as though they had been destroyed fairly recently. What shocked Tony were the two dozen bodies lying amidst the broken machinery: men stabbed fifty times or more, the blood around their cold bodies still wet. Now he was concerned.

This was a recent crime, and a grisly one at that.

"Estimated time of death?" Tony gasped, not knowing what to do first. He was on edge.

"Sir, time of death is calculated to be about 20 minutes ago." Jarvis replied solemnly.

It didn't take a genius to realize that the slaughter had been going down as Tony had been leisurely exploring other parts of the complex. His vital signs (visible in the top left-hand corner of his suit) showed a spike in his heart rate as he flipped to defense mode.

"Jarvis." Tony hissed as he attempted to slow his breathing. "Scan and see if any one of these people are still alive."

"Right away, sir."

Tony, in the meantime, was hastily scrolling through his phone contacts, attempting to find someone who worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and who would, preferably, pick up the phone. Nick refused to have a cell phone and Clint never answered his, so it was not without a great deal of deliberation that Tony finally contacted Natasha.

Into the first ring, Jarvis interrupted. "Sir, there is one man who is still alive. I shall show his position on the radar."

Tony stopped in front of one of the modems before going to help the lone survivor. He popped out a chip from one of the suit's compartments that would upload any surviving files onto his own hard drive back at Stark Tower; now that a massacre was involved, Tony was definitely interested to see what they had been toying with on the computers. Apparently it was important enough to warrant the machines' destruction.

"Download at five percent, sir."

There was a click as Natasha answered her phone and her smoky voice filled his helmet like syrup. "Natasha speaking. Mr. Stark, I don't recall ever giving you permission to use my personal phone."

Tony twisted his lips. "Well…there are several thousand things I do, my dear, without asking for your permission." He sensed an argument ready to commence. "Will you just listen for a second?" Download was at thirty percent. "I looked into the small…problem Fury sent me to fix."

"And?" Natasha sounded irritable. Tony wanted to bother her more.

"I'm currently in the company of about twenty broken computers and two dozen dead men. According to Jarvis, this madness went down less than a half an hour ago." He replied insolently, relishing the quiet shock on the other end of the line. Download at sixty percent. "It looks bad, Nat-."

"Don't call me 'Nat'!" She barked.

"_Anyway_!" Tony shot back. "I'm currently uploading whatever was left on their hard drive and now I'm checking on survivors. Can we, and by 'we' I mean you, send some agents up here and help me clean this up?" Download was at seventy.

He heard the clacking of computer keys. "I'm locking into your coordinates now. How many survivors are left?"

"Only one." Tony replied. "I'm moving toward him now." Eighty percent.

"Did you come across any resistance?" Natasha sounded confused.

"None." He reached the side of the lone survivor. Dressed in all black, he was face-down with a faint heartbeat, every spare inch of his body drenched with blood. "Why? Please answer quickly. I'm going to attempt to save this bastard." Ninety-five percent.

"_Tony! Get out of there!_" Natasha ordered, panicking. Only a few things could make her sound upset, and when she was, Tony was willing to not be an ass and listen. "_Don't get any closer! Don't you see? He's the-_!"

Tony short-circuited then. The screens in front of his face flashed like a light show and it felt as though he was being fried from the inside out. He had no idea what kind of taser was being effectively used on him, but he felt that he wanted one as soon as he recovered from this. If he recovered at all. It felt like he was being burnt alive.

He saw his survivor stand as he collapsed to floor, just before his visuals died.

"Sir…"Jarvis' voice sounded fuzzy. "Download is completed. Suit power at…" His British tone cut out.

"_TONY? TONY! _I'll have agents there as soon as I can! Just hold-!" Natasha's voice also disappeared.

Tony just felt tired as he smelled his own hair fizzling with electricity. He was in too much pain to even care that he had been tricked. At least his suit would remain locked from the outside. The muscles in his face burned with pain as he shut his eyelids, preparing to pass out.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best arrival time was seven minutes. He hoped he would survive till then.

As he prepared to pass out, a brief image flashed across his visual field before he was out. It was only two sentences, accompanied by a smooth voice that slid into his conscious:

"Hello Tony Stark. Welcome to the game."


	3. Life is a Game of Chess

** Author's Note: **Once again, since I'm not super familiar with comic book version Iron Man (although I'm currently working on it), I didn't want to have the villain I ended up choosing being the main antagonist. However, since probably most of the readers are familiar with him…Anyway, if you don't recognize the 2nd villain, look him up on Wikipedia. Carry on!

**Chapter 3: Life is a Game of Chess**

When Tony came to, he knew instantly that he had only been out for a few minutes at best. If he had been unconscious for more than ten minutes, no doubt S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would be attempting to slice through his suit with a blowtorch. It could have just been the fact that his brain was still shocked, but Tony felt surprisingly calm for someone who had just been ambushed and tased within an inch of his life and was now without the support of his suit. It was astonishing that he was still alive.

The annoying words still flashed across the screen, but it took him a few minutes to process their meaning.

" 'The Game'? What on earth…?" He mumbled to himself.

In response, his visuals flashed to life and revealed a person, an all too familiar person smiling at him with false benevolence. Tony recognized the face with irritation: the luminous green eyes, the slick black hair, the face as fine-featured as a woman, and the slender frame that cut through the blank space like a curved blade. Thor's wayward brother, Loki.

"Hello," He said sweetly; Tony was not swayed. He knew the potential of the little bastard. "If you're receiving this message, you have been chosen to participate in my game. I came up with this as a contingency plan in case I failed with my first set of options." His smile curved up like a Cheshire cat. "I'm afraid you're the guinea pig for this particular stage of the game, but if all goes as planned I will be able to exercise it on the rest of the Avengers."

Tony was confounded.

"Listen closely." Loki said in his singsong voice. "Here is first set of rules for Tony Stark. You will return to your apartment in that Tower of yours. A mortal under my employ has taken something of yours. The most valuable thing you own. When you realize what it is, you will receive the second set of directions. I suggest you do not deviate from your instructions or…something most terrible will happen." Loki grinned as though he wished such a thing would occur. "And now, mortal, I bid you adieu." With a sweeping bow, the god of mischief disappeared from Tony's screen, but his cruel green eyes still seemed to bore into the silence.

Tony groaned as he clambered to his feet. Off the top of his head, he tried to think of what could have been stolen. His suits, perhaps? Maybe the box of items from his father or his hard drive…Looking at the blank screen on his suit, Tony felt a wave of nausea wash over him. What if they had taken Jarvis from him?

"Jarvis?" He croaked desperately. His throat felt like it had been set on fire and massaged with gravel. "Jarvis?"

There was a click and the sound of his suit rebooting. His statistics began to blur back into view and he gave a deep sigh of relief. Jarvis' voice, thankfully, rang through the metal helmet a moment later.

"Sir, I am pleased to note that your vital status seems to be unchanged from when we were shut down. However, it seems to be that we have been hacked. I believe Miss Romanoff has left a frantic message for you. Shall I relay it?"

"Play it for me on the way back."

"Sir?"

"Something's been taken from the house Jarvis. I don't know what it is yet but I already want it back. S.H.I.E.L.D. can clean this mess up." Tony rose up so that he hovered in the air before shooting through a window without a backward glance. Jarvis began to play Natasha's panicked message, much to Tony's chagrin.

"_TONY STARK_! ANSWER ME, YOU BASTARD! I'm sending people over now. You do not have permission to die. I will not let you." With a hasty click, the message ceased and Tony grimaced. He would contact her at the tower.

"Sir, there is also a message from Miss Potts, sent shortly after you woke. I'll relay it to you now."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. If the message had been sent so soon after seeing the video, then Pepper had to be safe from harm. Loki had already stolen what was most valuable to him. Pepper was safe.

"Tony!" She gasped, and he could practically see strands of strawberry hair coming out of her already messy bun, her freckles obscured by the frantic blush on her cheeks. "Tony, I just got a call from Natalie!" ("Natasha", Tony corrected her under his breath). "She says you've been attacked and you're not responding! The power is out here and Jarvis is down as well! Happy and I are coming out there now! You had…you had better not be hurt!" Her voice cracked on the last sentence and Tony longed to be at Stark Tower in that second to clear the worry from her face.

"Call her back for me, Jarvis." He hoped he could catch her before Happy took her too far away, but with each consecutive ring, his hope for such a thing decreased. Pepper must have been extremely worried if she didn't hear her cell ringing.

At the sound of her voicemail, Tony gritted his teeth in annoyance. She would chew him out later but he was at least considerate enough to leave her a message. "Pepper, it's Tony. I'm…fine, sort of, but someone's taken something from Stark Tower. I need you to head back there as soon as you get this message and help me figure out what's been taken." He paused, remembering the pain in her voice. "And Pepper…I'm fine. Really, I am."

After hanging up, he pushed the suit harder, rocketing back to Stark Tower at full speed. He was unsurprised to see that all of the lights were off. Apparently Jarvis' mainframe had not yet rebooted.

Tony simply broke through another window, wincing as shards of glass rained down around his shoulders. His metal boots made hollow clanking noised on the marble floors and he pulled his helmet off, tossing it over his couch.

"Pepper?" He called, but there was no response. She and Happy were probably already headed back to the office buildings to meet up with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Tony sighed in frustration. Now he had to search for the thing 'most valuable to him'. "Jarvis, while you're booting up the mainframe here, can you contact Natasha for me?"

He dreaded every second that the phone rang, as he searched aimlessly.

Natasha picked up on the second ring. "TONY?"

"Darling." He replied, making sure his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Did you miss me?"

Natasha's voice was shot with ire. "You had better be on the brink of death in an office building right now, or I am going to personally come over and finish the job."

"I'm sorry to always be a colossal disappointment to you, Natasha, but in fact I am in Stark Tower at the moment. I have to find my most valuable object, which, right now, sounds like a glass of cognac. Want to help me figure it out?"

"You have one minute to explain." She snarled.

Tony poured himself a drink before launching into the story, starting after he had woken up from his temporary bout of unconsciousness. About halfway into his first sentence, Jarvis was back online and Stark Tower glittered to life once again. After the tale was complete, Natasha sat in silence for a few moments.

"So. Even after he's been apprehended, he's still going to try and bring us down." Natasha's hatred of Loki ran so deep that she refused to say his name aloud. "What are you going to do now Tony?"

Tony set his empty glass down with a hollow clink. "Well, I have to figure out what Loki and his accomplice, Zappy, have taken from me. I honestly have no clue as to what it could be. I can rebuild most of the things I own and Jarvis is still here."

"I like to keep out of your personal business, Mr. Stark." Natasha said sourly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have your mess to clean up." Tony was about to protest that none of this nonsense was his fault, but Natasha cut him off. "Call me back when you figure this out."

Tony twisted his lips in frustration.

"Jarvis!" He called. "What should I do? I don't know where to look first…" He had Stark Tower, his home in Malibu, and all his storage to consider. It was a great deal of items under his control.

"Sir, shall we employ the surveillance system you implemented recently? If something was stolen from the Tower, then it will be on film, even though my systems were not functioning." Jarvis said sensibly, as though he was amused by Tony's lack of direction in a crisis.

Tony grinned; in the excitement, he had completely forgotten about the protective measures he had put in place. "What would I do without you Jarvis?" He poured himself another drink and waited for one of his countless computer screens to drop down to his fingertips. His hands maneuvered deftly across the face of the computer until he reached the most recent surveillance videos.

The video came up on screen and Tony scrolled through the thumbnails until he found the segment of his departure. After that, it was just a matter of waiting to see if he saw an anomaly in the film. But that mission was quickly abandoned as he began to focus solely on Pepper.

Mostly, she wandered about and dithered; it was something she did all too often when Tony was not within five feet of her influence. Any further away and he was capable of causing an international catastrophe. She walked aimlessly, sometimes kicking things aside with her heels or sorting things into indiscernible piles. Tony watched her in a mix of amusement and parental affection. He liked her quirks.

As if on cue, Pepper pulled out her phone and Tony knew it was Natasha as Pepper turned white and began to talk fast. Her hands were shaking as she hung up the phone and set it on the bar. It took her a few moments to compose herself, but even the dubious future of her boss could not rattle Pepper beyond repair, even as the lights went out. She calmly poured herself a drink, downed it in one gulp and picked up her phone, probably first to call Happy and then Tony.

Tony was entranced.

As if on drugs, Pepper flitted about the foyer like a crack-addled butterfly, pushing things haphazardly out of the way and moving at speeds Tony thought were impossible to accomplish in heels. As always, she was surprising him.

He raised his glass to drink as Pepper strode to the door, pulling on her coat…

"Sir," Jarvis began. "At this point, on monitor three, a break-in was detected."

It was as though his drink was filled with dry ice. The cognac turned to battery acid as it slithered over his tongue, down his throat, whereupon it promptly froze in his stomach. The pain was like icicles were jabbing into his organs: his lungs, his heart, his skin… His fingers clenched around the glass.

It couldn't be…

Pepper was with Happy. She was safe, riding to rescue him. She had to be.

As he shakily selected the third monitor (the one on the terrace), Tony did see the intruder: wearing a costume similar in style to the Iron Man suit, he looked as though he had opted for stealth over style, as his suit was black, in ninja-style. However, he had allowed himself a small concession for flair with red striations, like muscles on his chest, legs, arms, and the side of his head. Tony felt sick.

"Play the video." He whispered hoarsely to Jarvis, secretly begging Pepper to move faster.

But she didn't, turning back at the last moment to get her cell phone. Tony felt his heartbeat in his temples as the Iron Man-lookalike/ninja crept closer and closer to the foyer, avoiding the upended paint cans and mechanical objects. Pepper's hand was on the front door…

Tony's very expensive crystal cognac glass shattered upon impact with his floor, sending crystal shards, ice, and alcohol all over.

Pepper turned back and dropped her phone to floor. Astonishingly, that was as far as her shock went, as she obviously began to confront the intruder, reaching for her phone. Tony would be extremely proud of her if he had not been so afraid for her.

"Run Pepper." He pleaded with the screen, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "Please, just run to Happy."

Like before, Tony had never seen anyone move so quickly as the ninja did. He was behind Pepper before her nails could touch the plastic edge. Pepper straightened up and turned, her reddish-blonde hair coming out of its' messy bun as she moved. Her face now registered fear.

Tony saw blue lightning and couldn't stop the anguished cry from escaping his throat as Pepper writhed under the powerful electric pulse. If the taser was painful in the metal suit, then having it touch bare skin must have caused unimaginable pain. Tony was shaking with fury as Pepper's knees gave out and the man in black tossed her over his shoulder like a useless weight.

He couldn't watch any more. Now he knew what was most valuable to him.

Tony stepped on the shards of crystal as he ran, pushing the screen aside. Blood spattered the floor as Tony scoured for his helmet, pushing aside anything and everything in his path. When he found it lying on his couch, he forced it down on his head, almost painfully.

Jarvis sounded pained as well. "Sir, shall I contact Miss Romanoff?"

Tony was furious, mind numbingly so, his hands shaking with the urge to hit whoever had touched Pepper. _His _Pepper.

"Loki, you fucker!" He screamed. "You took Pepper Potts from me! You give her back!" The screen on his vision blurred, but it was not Loki who appeared in front of him. Instead, it was the black-clad kidnapper who appeared in front of him, stoic as stone.

"Tony Stark." He started, his voice deep and rough like the sea. "They call me Spymaster."

"Well, I call you a dead man." Tony snarled. "Let's get started with this nonsense. Where's Pepper?"


	4. The Price of a Hint

** Author's Note: **I like Loki, but I'm glad I'm writing about a different villain instead; I can mold him however I like. Clint and Natasha are fun too. Although they'd probably never be so transparent, I'd like to think that they are trying to be secretive about their feelings, but everyone else knows, cause its' so obvious.

**Chapter 4: The Price of a Hint**

Spymaster looked bored, even though he was wearing the black and red, ninja-like suit that covered his face. This transmission was also different from Loki's, in that Loki's had been a recording, while this was more in the style of a live-feed. Hopefully this would give Tony more information, as he could converse with the bastard.

Now that the image was up in his helmet, Tony had Jarvis send the feed to one of his many computer screens so he was not forced to wear his helmet inside.

"Good evening Mr. Stark." Spymaster began, obviously not letting his boredom infringe upon common courtesy. "Before we begin, may I just clear a small detail? The Asgardian, Loki Laufeyson, is in no way connected with my game. The projection you saw earlier was simply that: a projection. Created by computer simulation, but then…you would know all about such things, wouldn't you Mr. Stark?" While maintaining a polite tone, the man somehow managed to sound mocking at the same time.

Tony tried not to let surprise show on his face. "Naturally."

"Very well. Then I shall continue." The Spymaster would have all but disappeared in his surroundings had it not been for the red striations along his muscles; the man was certainly not making it easy to divulge his whereabouts. But luckily, Jarvis was trying to trace him. "I have devised this game for my own benefit and by now it would seem that you realize you've lost your valued secretary, Virginia Potts."

"Where is she? What have you done with her? And why Loki?" Tony was so angry, it was hard to stop the burning questions from spilling out of his mouth.

Spymaster seemed amused by his outburst. "I chose to use Loki out of association. He has presented a threat, a public threat, to you in the past and I felt you were more likely to take him seriously."

"I take anyone seriously who electrocutes me, breaks in to my home, and kidnaps an innocent woman. Now where's Pepper?" Tony shot back. He became wittier when he was angry.

"So I see. I will adjust the game accordingly then. To answer your first two questions, Virginia Potts is perfectly unharmed at the moment and she is here with me. No doubt she'll wake within the next few moments. Before she does, I'll tell you about my game. What I have taken from you is obviously very important to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Therefore, I will give you 48 hours to recover it. Across the course of these hours you may ask for hints as to my whereabouts, but each hint will cost you dearly. If you locate us within the time limit, your precious item will be returned to you. But if you should fail…"

Tony did not want to hear him say it. He knew that if he could not find Pepper in two days, then she was as good as dead.

Spymaster continued. "I will always be available for contact, but you must find me on your own. The timer begins as soon as this call ends."

"Wait!" Tony gasped; he knew his face was pale. "How do I know you're not lying to me?"

With a sigh that dripped with chagrin over their distrustful relationship, Spymaster moved the camera through the darkness. Tony held his breath as he moved to a halo of light set in the dark surroundings. It pointed at a single wicker chair; chained to the chair was Pepper, still unconscious, her wavy hair almost obscuring her face.

Tony gritted his teeth in abject horror.

"Now you see, Mr. Stark, that this is not a bluff. This link cannot be traced. You cannot cheat. I will give nothing away. The only way to move forward is to ask for a hint."

"Then give me one!" Tony shouted.

"Are you sure?"

"Just fucking give me the clue!" Tony was tired of the games already. He wanted to collapse in his bed with a glass of fine wine and the knowledge that Pepper was absolutely safe.

"Very well. Miss Potts and I are still in the US, very near the ocean." Spymaster said like he was glad Tony had taken the bait. "As for the cost of the hint, well…" In his frustration, Tony had nearly forgotten about the fact that clues had their due price. Now he was apprehensive. Spymaster moved so that he was standing next to Pepper, and gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder, like the two of them were posing for a portrait. "Listen well, Tony Stark, for everything in this game will cost you dearly."

His fist clenched quickly, and even across a live-feed Tony could hear the delicate clavicle of Pepper Potts snap under the pressure. The pain must have been intense, because she rose from her stupor with an anguished scream. Tony felt as though someone had poured cold water down his back.

He had completely forgotten that his suit was still on his body as he gripped the computer screen, nearly fracturing the fragile sheet of glass.

Pepper's shriek shriveled into a tiny sob of pain and her knees trembled as Spymaster, all business now, stepped in front of the camera. His voice was cold and sharp as steel.

"You have 48 hours Mr. Stark. Remember, no matter what you do, you cannot win at my game."

"_TONY_!" He heard Pepper wail before the transmission was cut.

As soon as the screen went black, Tony felt it snap underneath his metal-encased fingers. The crack split the glass in two and it took every bit of his motor skills to uncurl his hands and let the defunct pieces crash to the floor. Pepper's scream still bit into his ears…

"Jarvis." He said, and his voice sounded hollow, devoid of his usual swagger.

"Sir," Jarvis said, and he almost sounded sad. "I was unable to trace the call. It also appears that Happy is unconscious in the parking garage. What shall we do?"

Tony was thinking of all the places in the United States that sat near the coast. Spymaster couldn't have gotten far…With shaking hands, he massaged his temples. It seemed that her cry was to haunt him for quite some time.

"Call Natasha." He replied. From the corner of his eye, he could see his discarded helmet and the numbers counting down across the screen. The 48 hours had begun.

….

Four hours later, Tony landed in the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in Arizona. After successfully convincing Rhodey to let Happy set up camp in the closest military base to Manhattan, Tony decided that coming to S.H.I.E.L.D. would be his best bet. After all, they had dragged him into this nonsense in the first place. However no one from the base had been answering their phones earlier, so Tony had taken it upon himself to fly out to them. He was always an unwelcome visitor there, and nothing pleased him more than to be an annoyance to someone. People in black suits scattered as he landed amidst the other aircraft.

"Hello, beautiful." He said with confidence he did not feel, flipping up his helmet under the stern glares of Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill. "Where's Fury?"

The two of them complemented each other perfectly. Natasha was all curve; her body curved like an hourglass under the black fabric of her cat suit, her features were all smooth and sensuous, and even her brilliant red hair curled and flipped in a fiery tangle. Maria, on the other hand, was all sharp and angular. While still lovely, the crisp angles of her body, facial features, and the poker-straight cut of her dark hair made her look as stern as stone, only made worse by the icy blue intensity of her gaze.

"Director Fury is away on confidential business." Maria began, her arms crossed over her thin chest. "And Mr. Stark, I hope you have taken into account that this is a private compound.."

He walked towards them leisurely. "Yes. And I hope you have also taken into account my complete and utter lack of consideration for such things. Especially when I'm upset."

Natasha twisted her full lips. "I take it you know what's been stolen from your house."

Tony raked his nails down the front of his face. "Pepper. He took Pepper."

Natasha blinked once by way of response, but it was enough that Tony could see, for a split second, the tiniest bit of sympathy in her deep green irises. Maria did not change expressions either, but simply turned on her heel and began to walk towards the base. After Natasha followed, Tony took it as his invitation to come in.

The base was a flurry of activity and Tony felt extremely out of place amidst all the black and white attire. He stuck out like a red and gold firework. He also clanked when he walked. Luckily, most S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were unflappable.

About two minutes into the base, Clint Barton (otherwise known as 'Hawkeye') appeared out of nowhere, silently attaching himself to Natasha's elbow. The two of them barely spoke to one another, but they seemed to be able to communicate with their eyes and simple expressions. Tony found it only slightly revolting.

"This is impossible," Maria muttered to herself. "We've contacted Thor, and he says Loki locked up safely in an Asgardian prison. It makes no sense at all."

Tony came up to stride, elbowing Clint out of the way. The 'hawk' glared at him with dislike in his dark, beady eyes, but Tony ignored him, more concerned with avoiding the sway of Natasha's curvy hips.

"That's why I've been trying to contact you." Tony said desperately, trying to ignore the timer in the bottom corner of his screen. "There's been a mistake. Loki isn't behind this. The man who is was only using Loki to get our attention. He knew we'd treat it as a threat."

"Then who's behind this?" Clint asked gruffly, rubbing his thumb against the bracer that strapped around his fingers and shooting arm.

"Get me to a computer and I'll show you."

Within the next five minutes, Tony was in his element, banging away at a computer. It was a good thing the agents here were quick; he was pressed for time. Within moments, a clear image of the Spymaster graced the large computer screens.

Maria's brow furrowed as Tony began to explain.

"We have a hit." Natasha said, and Tony stopped mid-sentence. "It says he's a mercenary-assassin for hire. Why would someone hire him to devise such an elaborate game, all to torture Tony?"

"The Avengers." Clint corrected. "Tony said that he was only the first. They're going to target us all if this game is successful." Something flashed across Natasha's face when she looked back at Clint; Tony twisted his lips. He was surprised no one else saw it.

Maria put her hands on her hips. "Well…this explains why out files were stolen. That way he can figure out who might be our weaknesses. Apparently he guessed right with Pepper."

"What I don't understand is the last thing he told me." Tony said, trying to change the subject. "He said, 'no matter what you do, you can't win my game'. What does he mean by that?"

"Suppose…" Clint began in a murmur. "Suppose that he doesn't want to find your weakness for his own sake, but for the sake of others."

"Exactly." Natasha agreed. "If he knew what could cripple us, he could fight the Avengers without ever physically attacking us. He would hold the things we love hostage."

"I see…" Tony said. "I'm damned either way in this game. When I arrive in time to save Pepper, he'll know that she's my greatest weakness. I'll always have to worry about him selling out that secret and then having someone come for her. But if I lost the game…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. Even now he knew that abandoning Pepper was not an option. He would rather protect her for the rest of his life than see her killed. Even now her scream still rattled his brain.

Without warning, the computer screens all went black. Maria barely blinked in surprise, but Natasha and Clint were clearly on edge. Tony felt his blood boil.

"Mr. Stark, you are cheating."

"I believe it was _you _who failed to specify that I can't get help from an outside source." Tony argued as Spymaster's 'face' blurred onto the screen. He seemed disgruntled.

"Very well…"

"You must be Spymaster." Maria said impatiently. "How did you hack onto our mainframe?"

"My employer has given me all the necessary tools to do so." He replied. "But I'm not here for you; my only concern right now is Tony Stark." Tony glared, hoping that the look was poisonous.

"Pepper?" He tried to sound angry, but it came out in a tortured gasp.

Spymaster moved the camera, seemingly amused with Tony's concern for her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Pepper awake, even though his happiness was marred with the sight of her obviously nursing her fractured collar. Her hazel eyes brightened the moment she saw him.

"Tony! What are you doing in Arizona?"

"Working on saving you." Tony replied. "If you had let me put a tracking device on you, like I wanted, we wouldn't be having this problem, now would we?"

"Tony Stark," Pepper's eyes flashed. "I told you I don't want one of your machines inside of me! It's bad enough that you order me around now, but to be able to follow me? It's a breach of my human rights and also I'm pretty sure it could be considered torture by anyone who knows you." Natasha shrugged, as if she agreed to the argument. "Wh-what if I had a…"

"A what?" Tony had almost completely forgotten about everyone else present. "A date? Who else on earth would be worthy of you, aside from me?" Pepper turned pink. "Besides, I wouldn't look in on you too much." He felt himself lying as he said so; he could watch Pepper do nothing all day.

"Lies."

"How's your shoulder?" He asked softly, as though speaking too loudly would only cause the bone to break even more.

Pepper shuddered a little. "I'll be fine." What a trooper. "Tony what's going on? I don't know what's happening, although…" She squinted. "This place looks familiar."

"Just sit tight, Pep." Tony replied. "I'm coming to get you."

She smiled. 'Oh, I knew that already."

Tony was so drawn in by her that he hadn't noticed Natasha and Maria conversing with Spymaster off to the side. He became privy to that information just as soon as Natasha barked,

"Then give us some information!" looking stunned that her interrogation was moving along so easily.

"No!" Tony cried, but the damage was done.

"We're on the West Coast." Spymaster hinted in excitement. "And now the price for your precious information."

Tony could barely bring himself to watch as Spymaster walked over to Pepper and snapped her arm. He could not keep the tortured groan from escaping between his clenched teeth as Pepper screamed again, all of her skinny body clenched up in pain. Natasha and Maria both looked horrified, their mouths opening slightly at the sheer brutality of the act, while Clint clenched his fists. Pepper sort of curled in on herself, shaking terribly and Tony felt as though he had never wanted to kill someone so much in all his life.

"T-T-Tony…" Pepper cried, clutching her arm.

"Why…?" He began.

"You chose to bring these people into our game. Therefore, they too should be subject to the rules and you have your hint. The price has been paid."

Everyone looked to Tony in confusion.

His chest hurt as he explained. "I need hints to get forward in this twisted game, but for each bit of information…he breaks Pepper's bones."

Maria handled the chilling news with calm dignity. "I see."

"Are you satisfied with your hint, Miss Romanoff?" Spymaster asked cruelly.

Natasha looked both horrified and angry, which was reason enough to piss Clint off as well.

"What do you want with us?" He growled.

"Aside from giving you that crucial bit of information," Spymaster replied, purposefully brushing hard against Pepper's broken arm. "I'm warning you. The game does not end with Mr. Stark. I will not stop until I know everything that will cut the Avengers deep. You will all know the torture he now feels."

Tony's arc reactor ached dreadfully as Pepper gasped in agony and looked at him with nothing but the most profound fear.


	5. Takes One to Know One

**Author's Note:** I loved Jane Foster in 'Thor' and I was so sad when they didn't have her in 'The Avengers'. Everyone likes to think of Tony and Bruce Banner being science buddies together, but I'd also like to think that they'd include Jane as well. Go Astrophysics!

**Chapter 5: It Takes One To Know One**

Thor Odinson was an intimidating figure when he wasn't upset. He was a little over six and a half feet tall (most of it made up of muscle and sinew) and looked every inch a thunder deity with his strong, scruffy jaw, crackling blue eyes, and long golden hair. However, at the moment, he happened to be upset, so he veritably shot sparks. Tony was glad he was not in Asgard at the moment.

"Pepper Potts has been abducted?" Thor boomed furiously. Somehow S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to contact him on his distant planet and he was talking to Natasha, Clint, Tony, and Maria, via video.

At some point, everyone in the Avengers Initiative had discovered that Pepper was entirely in charge of coordinating Tony's hectic life and thus (realizing what kind of a life he led), all of them had regarded her with a certain amount of awe. Thor and Cap especially had a soft spot for her. It drove Tony nuts.

"We simply contacted you to say that your brother is no longer a suspect in this." Maria said solemnly. "There is no need for you to become involved."

However, Thor was not appeased. He gazed at Tony. "Has she been harmed? If she has, I will be most angry with you, Tony Stark."

"Me?" Tony sputtered, once again elbowing Clint out of the way so that he could get closer to the computer monitor. "This is hardly _my _fault! I'm the one who wants her back the most! I'd be worried about myself if I were you. This madman is going to attack all of us if we don't stop him. He could go after you next."

Thor mulled this information over; he was not the brightest star in the sky. "Yes, but all I hold dear is with me in…" He trailed off before looking horrified. There was the sound of something breaking as Thor leapt to his feet and both Maria and Tony winced. "By the gods…Jane! Has she been taken as well? This cretin will not survive the morrow if he has touched her!" Tony had to give him a little credit; the guy was a true gentleman. "I demand to see her!" The screen rattled as Thor crushed something. He had the bad habit of breaking things when he wanted something done.

"Please calm down." Natasha began. "She's under our employ here. There's no way-."

Thor looked desperate, even a little vulnerable for a moment. "Surely, if Tony Stark's dear lady Pepper could be stolen from his home, then Jane could be taken as well!" Tony felt himself blush. Thor was quite blunt. "Warrior Natasha, if we are comrades, please do this for me. Let me see my Jane so as to put my mind at ease." He removed his plumed helmet and bowed his head to Natasha and Clint.

Maria sighed as Natasha angled herself towards the exit.

"I'll get her." Maria complied, turning briskly on her heel. Thor watched her go with bated breath.

"Truly, I am sorry, Tony Stark, as I spoke rashly before." Thor said in apology. "I know that none of this is your fault and I too care for the Lady Pepper. I also want her free from harms' way. I wish you godspeed in your search for her."

"I'm just glad it's not Loki again." Natasha said, looking to Clint. Clint despised Loki even more than she did, although he remained stone-faced and tight-lipped upon the subject.

"As am I." Thor said sorrowfully. "Though my brother is cruel, I do love him and it pains me to see him do others harm. I dislike this 'Spymaster' even more, that he would use my brother to provoke us again. Is Pepper…?"

Tony looked to Clint and Natasha. "The only way for us to get information on her whereabouts is to let him…break her bones."

Thor looked to be half-torn with blinding fury and half-fearful that the same fate could fall on Jane Foster. "Such a man…who would harm an innocent lady…he is the worst kind of man. If I could, Tony Stark, I would be on Midgard this moment to tear this vermin apart." He was completely in earnest and Tony was grateful for the sentiment.

"_Thor_!" Both Tony and Thor jumped as Jane Foster raced into the room.

Thor got a lovestruck look in his blue eyes (really he was the most transparent man Tony had ever met). "Jane. I am so relieved to see you unharmed." He sighed.

Honestly, Tony could see his attraction to Jane. She was petite, barely over five feet tall, with an absolutely lovely face and an equally beautiful mind, foremost in the field of astrophysics. Such a small and sweet woman, Thor probably took immense pleasure in being a shield for her. Even now, they only had eyes for one another.

Maria rolled her eyes at the spectacle.

"What's going on?" Jane asked removing her white lab coat. "Has something happened Thor?"

"Jane," Thor said. "Some cruel man is attacking my comrades by stealing and torturing what is most precious to them. Tony Stark has lost his Lady Pepper." Jane looked to Tony in sorrow. If he had been in any other circumstance, Tony would have attempted to seduce her, but she had a terrifying lover in Thor and he was more concerned for Pepper than he was for his sex life. "I too am fearful…"

"Surely, what you love most is Asgard." Jane said in comfort. "There is no way someone could hold that hostage against you…"

Thor looked at her like she was light itself. "Though that is true…I shudder to think of you in harm's way. My dear Jane, it would put my heart at ease if you were guarded at all times until this cruel man has been apprehended. I wish I could do only do so myself…"

Tony knew the feeling now. He wanted to lock up everything he loved and never let anyone else touch it again.

"You say Miss Potts has been kidnapped?" Jane tore her eyes away from Thor to gaze at Tony. "Why aren't you out looking for her?"

Tony had come to the decision only after using every ounce of logic and self-control he possessed. "This man…he tortures Pepper so I can get information on their location. It's cruel and I can't stand doing it…So I've decided to play smart. I have two clues: they're on the west coast and they're by the ocean. I want to go search for her, spend hours scouring every place even close to the coast, but that would waste what little time I have."

Natasha, Maria, and Jane all nodded as though this seemed to be a perfectly logical course of action.

"Then what will you do, Tony Stark?" Thor asked in confusion.

Tony smirked; Natasha and Clint were going to despise him for this. "Thor, can I speak to your brother?"

….

Clint and Natasha had left the room after Thor agreed to Tony's request, and he hoped that he didn't run into either of them again for at least an hour. Loki had done 'Hawkeye' no favors in his battle against earth, and Tony was doubtful Natasha could stand the sight of the man without wanting to kill him. It would take more than a few galaxies to stop her.

Thor dragged whatever device he was using to communicate down to the golden oubliette that was Loki's Asgardian prison.

"Brother," Thor said softly. "I require your help."

"Something terrible must have happened," Came the pained sigh from within. Loki sauntered up to the door looking incredibly bored as he regarded Thor and the rest of his audience. "What manner of device is this?"

"I haven't the foggiest. You remember Tony Stark and Lady Maria Hill." Loki grimaced.

"I do." With a glance to Jane, his insolent mouth stretched up into a cattish grin. "So then I assume the last person I see is none other than your own Jane Foster." Jane gazed at him in curiosity as he appraised her. "She is lovely, brother…but I'm sure you could do better. A pleasure to meet you, lady." His tone was mocking.

A muscle in Thor's jaw twitched. "Hold your tongue."

Loki raised one black eyebrow. "How do expect me to help you and hold my tongue at once? My words are my only redeeming feature, dear brother, and as usual you aren't making any sense."

Tony was glad, in that moment, that he had no brothers.

Thor looked as though he wanted to punch his younger brother, but he withheld the impulse and continued, although his ears were red. "Tony Stark requires your help, if you are willing enough to give it." Tony was not willing to hold his breath on the matter, but Thor trusted Loki so he was willing to give it a shot.

"Does this have anything to do with the brazen mortal fool who has the gall to impersonate me?" Loki leaned lazily against the golden bars of his cell, grinning like a madman…which was sort of appropriate as he did seem wildly unstable. "If so, then I am more than willing to lend my assistance on the subject."

Maria was astonished. "I hesitate to ask why."

Loki gazed at her coldly, his green eyes flashing fire. "A mortal using _my_ noble bearing to further his own crude plans? As long as I live, I will not stand for it. Ask away, Stark."

"I need to know where this man has gone. He…has something of mine." Tony did not want to give the devious demi-god any more information than absolutely necessary. But Loki grinned, showing his sharp, white teeth.

"Judging by your less than confident demeanor, Mr. Stark, I would assume that this man of which you speak has stolen your Jane." When Thor looked to Loki with confusion, he explained. "What I mean to say, is that he's stolen whichever miserable harlot you fancy above any other."

Tony felt his fists clench in fury, but luckily Thor was chivalrous enough to defend Pepper. He grasped Loki by the nose and pulled his face up against the bars. Loki yelped in surprise.

"In a manner of speaking…" Tony snarled through gritted teeth. "He took my secretary and is hiding with her somewhere. In exchange for information on their whereabouts, he tortures her."

"I'm beginning to like this fellow." Loki said insolently. "Perhaps I should follow his example when I come to visit you, dear Jane."

Jane turned white at the thought and Thor bristled. "Brother! Behave yourself! I will not tolerate it if you speak of her like that again!"

Loki rolled his eyes but continued. "This man you seek is obviously playing with you. He wants to hurt you as badly as he is able and for that he will probably hide in the most obvious place. That way, when you realize it, you will curse your own stupidity when you stumble upon whatever he leaves of your woman." Thor looked horrified at his brother's logic but Tony was listening aptly, with his heart in his mouth. "Ingenious, really. If it were me…I would slaughter her in your own home."

Tony's arc reactor shone bright as he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Pepper's in Malibu." He choked. He hadn't been back to his seaside home on the west coast since he had basically destroyed it during one of his crazier birthdays.

Loki's eyes glimmered. "I'm so glad to be of assistance. But do take care. I imagine if he's found that you cheated at his game, he will be most upset. He might even kill her ahead of schedule."

"How quickly can you get to California in your suit?" Jane asked.

"An hour and a half." Tony calculated roughly. "Maybe an hour if I go at full power…"

Thor nodded. "You must make haste, Tony Stark. Stop this man before he takes…something else." Thor looked to his beloved Jane and she twitched as though she longed to reach up and touch the gold stubble on his chin.

Poor Jane was so concentrated on Thor that she shrieked in shock as the screen cut to black. Natasha and Clint dashed back into the room, probably from where they had been sitting outside the door, waiting for just such a signal. Natasha's hands hovered above her guns, but Clint was ready for shit to go down, his arrows out and pointed at the blank screen. Tony's chest ached as the Spymaster's face flickered on to the screen. He was obviously irate.

"I see that rules mean nothing to you, Anthony Stark." He hissed in fury. "You not only blatantly disregard my rules, but you are ruining everything I have carefully laid out." The red visors where his eyes were burning angrily against his black mask. "If you refuse to abide by my rules, then I too will go against what I promised."

Jane covered her mouth when she saw Pepper restrained in the darkness of what Tony was now positive was his home in Malibu. There was a long, bloody gash on her freckled cheek and she was stark white against the dark surroundings.

"This is no longer a game, Tony Stark. This is a race. Here are the new rules." He leaned in close to the screen so that all was visible were his red eye slits. "You get here… _before I kill her_."

Jane screamed as Pepper began to scream and Tony did not even bother to pause to see what he was going to do to her.

He jammed his helmet on his head. "Jarvis! Fastest route to my house. _Now_! Natasha, Clint, send agents over! I leave this in your capable hands! Pep! I'm coming!" He did not wait to get outside before firing up his rockets and he blasted through the halls of the base, upending chairs, papers, and agents. He smelled scorched paint behind him before he shot into the sky.

"Sir," Jarvis said. "I will keep Maria Hill on the line. Projected arrival time is forty-five minutes."

"Make it thirty!" Tony ordered as he flew at full power into the west.


	6. My Beautiful, Broken Redhead

** Author's Note: **I'm so pleased with the reactions this story is getting. When people enjoy and review my stories, it makes me want to write faster. I also don't like ridiculously long stories, so expect to find out in this chapter whether or not Spymaster will get his comeuppance. Will Tony get to Pepper in time? God, I hope so…

**Chapter 6: My Beautiful, Broken Redhead**

This was no longer a pleasure cruise. Tony was at full power the whole time, his jets blazing hot enough to braise the color off of his suit. In his peripheral, he heard the clamor of Maria, Natasha, and Clint as they scrambled to get S.H.I.E.L.D. agents out to California. At times, his spine chilled as he thought he heard sobs and screams coming in very faintly from the background.

"Can somebody make that stop?" He begged loudly.

No worded reply came; instead there were the sounds of two handguns unloading their cartridges into an unknown target. His vitals spiked in panic.

"Please tell me that was you, Nat…"

"_DON'T CALL ME THAT_!" She barked in reply. "It was Maria anyway. You owe us a new computer system."

"Natasha. Is she-?"

"Don't ask!" She fired back, obviously upset. "Just…don't fucking ask, Tony. I'm sending agents to your home as we speak. You just need to…just hurry, please. Okay?" Tony winced at the tone of her voice. While he was glad Pepper had not been on the receiving end of the gunfire, Natasha's voice had told him enough to know that she was in bad shape.

"Jarvis?" He choked as the scenery raced past in a blur.

"Estimated arrival time is twenty minutes." Even Jarvis sounded harried.

"Not good enough." Disregarding conservation of power for attacks and GPS and such, Tony forced all his power to the thrusters, moving so quickly that his armor was in danger of peeling from his bones. "We need to get there _now!_"

When he saw his partially destroyed home on the cliffs above the ocean, Tony slowed just enough to shoot a hole in his roof and drop into it.

He resisted the urge to tear his helmet from his head, instead flipping up the golden part, despite the fact that he would lose all of his sensors.

"PEPPER!" He shrieked, listening as his voice bounced hollowly off the empty halls. "PEPPER! ANSWER ME!"

"_TONY!_" Her cry was absolute anguish, a tortured cry that pierced through the dark and empty halls and shot Tony right through the heart. He heard sobs in her normally businesslike voice. "_OH T-TONY! IT HURTS!_"

"FIND HER!" Tony barked at Jarvis, flicking his helmet back into place.

His statistics popped back into view not a moment too soon, for the next moment he saw the Spymaster hurtling towards him, with blue lightning spurting from his hands. Tony was ready for him, ducking just in time so that he could grab the man's wrists.

"Sir, shall we go into attack mode or should we remain in search mode?"

"Give me a sec." Tony snarled. "I'll handle him personally." He wanted to tear Spymaster apart, slowly, to compensate for the pain Pepper had been put through. He was full of rage so hot, he thought he was going to burst into flame. Instead, he settled for twisting Spymaster's wrists until he heard them snap under his metallic fingers. Spymaster screeched, dropping to his knees, and the lightning evaporated. It gave Tony far more pleasure than he would ever be willing to admit.

"I'll deal with you later." He hissed. Pepper had not ceased to cry for him the whole time, and Tony was sincerely tired of hearing her in pain. He secretly vowed to never let another cry of pain escape her lips again. "Don't fucking move."

He kicked Spymaster away and followed Jarvis' instructions towards Pepper's pounding heart rate. Of all the places, she was trapped in his old bedroom.

The chains around her ankles were resting against some sort of device Tony had never seen and it was obviously some sort of taser, as Pepper's lanky frame trembled with electric shock. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she smiled when she saw Tony.

He wasted no time.

Tony crushed the device into a fizzling pulp (almost pretending it was Spymaster's skull) and Pepper's knees shook with the aftershocks. He ripped the chain apart and Pepper attempted to stand.

"M-Mr. Stark…" She gasped. Despite her obvious pain, she smiled wider, a smile Tony had not realized how much he missed. He had forgotten the way her hair waved and alternated red and gold, or how breakable she looked. He was not surprised in the least when her legs gave out under her tiny weight.

Tony flipped the helmet up and caught her simultaneously so that his nose and lips were pressed against the crown of her freckled head. He had momentarily forgotten about her broken arm and collarbone, and shifted her quickly as she cried out.

"You can call me 'Tony', considering the circumstances." He said softly, stroking her hair with one of his metal hands. He was afraid the joints might tear strands of her hair out.

"T-Tony…"

"Don't you dare try to walk." Tony ordered. He maneuvered her up so that she was clutched in his grasp. "I'm going to get you out of here, Pep."

She patted his arc reactor as if nothing was the matter. "Oh, I know that."

Tony was overcome with the desire to kiss her, on the forehead, the cheeks, the lips…Unluckily, he was prevented from doing so by way of Spymaster colliding into his legs, doing some sort of martial arts move that caused him to drop to the ground. Pepper slipped from the safety of his grasp and landed violently on the hardwood floors. Her scream rattled Tony's teeth.

"Hang on, Pep!" He called, flipping down his gold faceplate before rolling out of the way. The bastard could still fight, it seemed. Spymaster kicked Pepper out of the way and she did not even bother to resist, sliding across the floor, her long limbs completely limp. Tony blasted him off his feet with his thrusters and he broke through the wall. It was no great loss; Pepper was a thousand times more important than his walls.

He didn't have time to check on her as Spymaster managed to flip back into Tony, using only his legs. The force was enough to break through the floors and Tony smashed into the first-floor entrance, leaving an Iron Man-shaped crater in the marble floors.

Spymaster's whole body glowed electric blue as he prepared to land on Tony.

"Sir, it appears as though his suit can retain an electrical charge. If it touches your metal armor I fear it will microwave you where you stand." Jarvis noted. "I am currently scanning the armor for weak points."

"Take your time!" Tony barked, firing one of his small shoulder rockets. It exploded on impact and knocked Spymaster off his course, giving him just enough time to roll out of the way. He wished that the bastard was fighting with normal lightning, like Thor. Then his suit could absorb the charge and give him a boost in power. "I wonder if he can catch me if I fly."

Tony rocketed into the air, spiraling down towards his mechanics' lab in the lower level.

"Sir, guided missile is on a set course for us." Jarvis remarked calmly, showing the statistics of said rocket. "If evasive action is not taken, I fear our armored defense will drop by twenty-two percent."

"Damn." Tony hissed. "Jarvis, I'm going to bank hard and then drop. Can you hang?"

"Naturally, sir."

Tony saw the missile scream around the corner and right as it was about to touch his boot, he disabled the thrusters completely and skidded down the floor. The rocket smashed into the wall, exploding on impact and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned his head back into the rubble.

"Attack imminent." Jarvis said and Tony used his thrusters just in time, pushing himself out of the way before Spymaster came crashing down on where he had been before. It was amazing how he could still fight with useless hands.

"Anthony Edward Stark." Spymaster gasped. "My mission is not to terminate you. Don't make this harder than it is."

Tony got to his feet and he could feel the dents in his armor. "What do you plan to do? If you make Pepper cry again, I swear to god, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Give up, leave us alone."

Spymaster shook his head. "That, I cannot do. I have to find your weakness and destroy it. Otherwise I will be forced to sell that knowledge to your enemies. You will be tied to that woman for the rest of your life, never free from fear. I've tried to warn you about this dangerous path." The red bits of his suit glowed as he prepared to fire up his body taser.

"Pepper's mine." Tony said simply, crossing his arms over his arc reactor. "I'm selfish. I want to be the only one in her universe. So I won't let you have her. I won't let anyone have her. I don't know who you are or who hired you, but you can't take Pepper from me. No one but me. If anyone else comes to get her, I'll do the same to them as I'll do to you."

"You're a fool, Tony Stark."

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you. So what now?"

"I'm going to incapacitate you, Tony Stark. And then I will finish what I started. I will kill Virginia Potts."

Spymaster took one step forward and Tony prepared to attack. But before Spymaster could take a second step, there was a small beep and his suit lit up with voltage. This was not his weapon though, but a reverse current, lighting up the suit so that Spymaster began to roast from the inside. Tony was shocked into speechlessness, as he had not even moved.

Pepper, her reddish hair frizzing, stood behind Spymaster, looking shocked, angry, and triumphant all at the same time as she regarded the device in her delicate hands. She gasped for air, probably having dragged herself down the two floors, despite having two broken bones, dark bruises, and still wearing heels.

"I hate…when people call me…Virginia." She gasped.

Tony made a point to step on Spymaster as he ran over to her. "Pepper! What is that?" He was unspeakably proud of her. Few men could say that they had a personal assistant who was beautiful, could still be on their feet after hours of torture, and then electrocute their captor.

"As if I know. You probably made it." She said, leaning against his metal-plated chest. Tony made sure to avoid the tip of the little device. "When he kicked me away, I somehow ended up halfway under your bed. I found this and figured that it was a weapon."

Tony examined it, flipping up his visor. "Oh, it's not a weapon. It reverses electrical impulses and it basically turned his suit into a conductor. He should be out for quite some time." He had meant to implant the device in his suit, in case someone should try to electrocute him, and it would turn the lightning back on his attacker.

Pepper grinned, stretching at the long scab on her cheek. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad I found it. I would have been upset if he attacked you."

Tony smiled back at her. "A bit possessive, aren't you?"

"You're one to talk. 'I'm _yours_'? I never recall making that commitment."

"You signed the contract. You're my assistant and if you think for _one second _I'm going to let it slide if someone else takes you away from me, then you are sorely mistaken. You belong to me."

Her hazel eyes looked up at him with incredulity. At least she was used to his selfishness.

"We should go." Tony said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. agents will be here soon and they'll clean all this up. We need to get you to a hospital anyway." Pepper had tried to begin to walk again (her drive was truly astonishing), but Tony saw her heels shaking under pressure. She had been cut across the face, electrocuted, bruised across her entire left side, and had two bones shattered; she deserved a ride. "Consider it unprofessional, but I don't want to see you fall again."

Pepper did not protest as he swept her up into his metal arms, and Tony did not say so, but he felt as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Are you sure about the tracking device?" He asked.

"Shut up, Tony."

….

"Is she all right?" Rhodes asked stoically from across the phone. He sounded almost annoyed with the whole incident.

Tony whispered. "She's sleeping. But she'll be here for a while." Pepper's tiny hand was in his as she lay in her private hospital bed. Tony had not gone anywhere since the two of them had arrived there, she looking like she had been through battle, while Tony was still in his suit. Naturally, Tony had convinced the hospital staff to give Pepper her own room and she was currently hooked up to an IV and another device that Tony had invented to speed up the recovery process.

"Well, at least you got there in time." Was Rhodes' only compliment. "Can I let Hogan leave now?" (By 'let', Tony assumed he meant 'kick out'). "He's very concerned and wants to fly out to California to visit the two of you."

Tony shrugged. "I guess I can always find use for my chauffeur."

"You're an ass."

"And you're wonderful." Tony laughed. "Now I'm hanging up."

"I thought you'd never say so."

Tony hung up with a grin, contemplating how he and Rhodey had ever become friends, before leaning down and kissing Pepper's bruised knuckles. He did not want to leave her side again. Unfortunately, he was Tony Stark, and he never had a moment alone. His phone buzzed only a few moments after he hung up with Rhodes and the number was one he did not recognize.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Stark!" He instantly recognized Jane Foster's sweet voice, even across the phone. "I heard you rescued Pepper. Thor will be delighted, I'm sure. Tell Pepper I wish her a speedy recovery."

"Thank you, Jane." Tony sighed, his week of sleepless nights catching up with him. "I'll let her know as soon as we wake up."

"Oh, oh! I'm sorry." Jane exclaimed softly, as though Tony himself was currently sleeping. "I'll let you go now." Tony smiled as he entered the new number into his contacts and placed his phone back on the bed.

Pepper opened one eye. "Who was that? Your girlfriend?" Despite the thin red cut on her cheek, the colorful bruises blossoming across her body, and the shapeless hospital gown, Pepper was still absolutely lovely.

"Yes. My girlfriend, Rhodes." He joked and Pepper grinned. "Go back to sleep."

"Your phone's ringing again." She said sleepily, squeezing his hand.

Tony looked down at his phone; it was Natasha. He twisted his lips before throwing his phone over his shoulder. Natasha would be furious, the way he enjoyed leaving her. "Doesn't matter." He rested his head on Pepper's stomach and dozed off to the sound of her breathing. Pepper was alive…Alive…

All was right with the world.


	7. The Obscene Power of Alcohol

** Author's Note: **Final chapter! Here it is and I had _so _much fun having the two of them interact again (I think dorky love scenes are infinitely more fun). I am considering doing spin-offs (like maybe Thor and Jane), so if you'd like to see it, please let me know and if I get enough feedback I'll make it a priority. Who knows, maybe we'll see Tony and Pepper again. I hope you enjoyed it!

**Chapter 7: The Obscene Power of Alcohol**

Tony refused to answer his phone for the next week and he rarely left Pepper's room as it was. Normally Tony would have gone insane, sitting idle in the same room, but he had all the company he could ever want: Pepper, Jarvis, and occasionally Happy.

Tony had completely ostracized them from the rest of the hospital staff by wiring up the room to his own standards and becoming Pepper's rudimentary doctor. He had some new inventions he was going to present to the public, just after designing the prototypes to speed up Pepper's recovery. She seemed not to mind being strapped into metal limb casings or having the room smell like oil.

"What is this again?" Pepper asked, flexing the fingers of her injured arm. It was covered in an alloy of Tony's creation that sent electromagnetic pulses to her cells and made them multiply and heal faster.

"It's a bone-healer." He replied sweetly, kissing her forehead.

He avoided the yellowing bruises on her temple; one thing he enjoyed about spending time together, was that Pepper was becoming more comfortable with his touchiness. She let him kiss her, and even tilted her chin up when she wanted another. He was more than willing to comply with such a request.

"You like wine, don't you Pep?" He asked, sitting next to her on the bed. A tiny bit of oil dripped onto her sheets and she glared at him in annoyance.

"I hate wine."

"Well, good, because I got us vodka." Tony replied insolently, retrieving the paper bag from underneath her bed. "And olives."

Pepper twisted her lips upon being teased by her boss, but she held out her hand, requesting alcohol. Tony poured the liquid into glasses he and Happy had purchased earlier in the day, along with a hodgepodge of other items that seemed to make no discernible sense. Tony was not used to doing his own shopping.

"Cheers. To your health, Pep."

The state of their health came under serious question as the vodka steadily disappeared over the course of the next hour. Tony had gradually wormed his way onto the hospital bed, pushing Pepper to the side until he was sprawled out beside her.

"I feel, Mr. Stark," Pepper slurred, attempting to spear an olive with a thin coffee straw. "That it is highly inappropriate for me to be in bed with my employer." Her head lolled about on her neck as she looked down at him.

Tony rubbed his stubble against her collarbone, which he figured she would hate. She did flinch against the roughness.

"As if you've been in bed with _anyone_." He jabbed. Pepper had encountered him with other women on countless occasions and handled the awkward moments with shameless aplomb. Heaven knew if the roles were reversed, Tony would not let it slide without throwing a tantrum.

Pepper blushed dark red and the two of them began another one of their verbal sparring matches. "I-I will have you know, Tony, th-that I was very popular in high school and in college." "I'm sure you were." "A-And I h-had quite a few…erm, lovers, before I met you." "I'm sure you did." Tony moved closer every time he interrupted her and she became increasingly more flustered and unable to look away from him. "A-And now I've noticed that…since I've started w-working for you, I h-haven't been with anyone at all." "What a shame."

"And do you know why?" She asked, sloshing vodka all over the two of them.

"Because I would definitely find a way to ruin it?"

"No…I mean, yes! Y-You are arrogant, and selfish, and you're not as handsome as you think you are, and I have no idea why I'm still working for you!"

"All very acute observations."

"Y-yes!" She seemed to get a little cross-eyed as Tony was almost nose-to-nose with her. She swallowed deeply and her voice became endearingly shaky. "Not to mention y-your overall flashiness and how you d-don't respect my privacy at all and j-just your general…"

Tony was so close he could smell the liquor on her breath. "I thought I was doing pretty well, what with saving you and-."

He wasn't able to finish, as Pepper dropped her drink on the sheets and yanked Tony forward by his ears. Their lips met in the kind of kiss that was the standard of any drunken, passionate couple. It was the sort of kiss that was off-center and all open lips and tongues, saliva that tasted thick with alcohol, and could not be described without using the word 'sloppy'. It was Tony's kind of kiss, in other words.

Using what little was left of his sensibility, Tony made sure not to touch her bruises as he placed his palms on her cheeks.

Tony yelped while her tongue was still in her mouth as she yanked his head over (with her tiny fists still wrapped around his ears) so he was almost on top of her. Hospital beds were annoyingly small, but Tony had performed under more dire circumstances.

"Are you sure…you want…to do this?" He gasped between kisses. It seemed to be a stupid question as Pepper seemed intent on ripping the shirt from his back. "I am…your good-for-nothing boss…after all."

"Why?" She asked, managing to sound both innocent and mocking at the same time. "You want to stop?"

"You make an excellent point, as usual." He said quickly, yanking at the ties of her hospital gown. There could not be a more unappealing outfit, but at least it was easy to take off. He loosed the ties with one hand, while using the other to pull at his clothes. "I'm so glad I keep you around."

"You couldn't survive without me."

"No, I couldn't."

She seemed shocked to hear him say it aloud and looked up at him with some lucidity in her alcohol-addled eyes. Tony smiled softly at her and looked down as his arc reactor glowed against his bare chest. Pepper touched the glowing circle hesitantly and it glowed even brighter as she did so. She pulled her hand back.

"Does it hurt, Tony?"

He took her hand and placed it squarely over his reactor. "Only when you're gone."

Tony leaned down and kissed her again, this time softer, pouring in all the love and gratitude he had felt for his secretary over the time they had been together. To his immense delight, Pepper kissed him back.

"Your breasts are tiny." He remarked when he pulled away, a thin strand of spit connecting their mouths. Pepper blushed as Tony pulled her hospital gown forward and gazed at her chest. "Not that I mind. Oh, and there are freckles! I'll have to count them later."

He pulled back to look at Pepper, his Pepper: even drunk, in an unflattering blue hospital gown, a metal covering on her arm, and yellow-violet bruises blossoming across one side of her body she was positively gorgeous. Very gently, he wrapped his arms around her so they were pressed together. Skin against skin…He marveled at her strong heartbeat in comparison to his…

"I'm so glad you're alive." He murmured in her ear, kissing her cheek, where the scab from her cut was becoming smooth and white again. "Welcome back, Miss Potts."

"Happy to be back, Mr. Stark." She replied, stroking his cheeks.

Upon trying to reposition themselves, Tony and Pepper nearly fell out of the hospital bed entirely. Pepper shrieked and gripped him as Tony laughed from the adrenaline and braced himself against the bed rails.

"I should assure you, I'm usually more adept at this."

"Maybe I should climb up…?" She murmured, moving her hair out of her face.

"Maybe you should. Ow! That's…my spleen."

"Sorry! I'm sorry"

"Now you're _sure _you've done this before?" He joked as she somehow managed to swing her leg over his chest. He snapped the waistband of her highly unsexy white panties. "Personally, I wouldn't have picked this particular pair if I was out to seduce my boss…"

Pepper flushed. "Well…the world could do without another person who's like you. Then I'd be tortured twice as much…"

"Don't be…ridiculous." Tony said as he attempted to remove his jeans in a dignified manner. "I'm the only one who can torture you." He failed at the dignity bit. "Now I'll give you one last chance to back out of this. Are you sure you want to-?"

She shut him up with another drunk kiss and Tony stopped asking stupid questions. Instead, he put all of his focus into removing any sort of cloth barrier that could stand between them: from the sheets (which he kicked to the end of the bed) to his and Pepper's underwear (using the elastic waistbands to shoot them across the room).

When all obstacles were removed from his path, and before he could rethink the whole situation, Pepper sat down on his lap, hard, causing the both of them to shout in discomfort.

"Was that bad?" She gasped, sweat trickling down her freckled temple.

"Yeah, yeah, that was bad." Tony gasped and Pepper nodded in agreement. "Agh. Take it easy, Pep. I'm not going anywhere." He put his hands on her hips to keep her from moving.

"Don't…ah…lie to me." Her hazel eyes were intense as she regarded his tan face. "You're always running off, Tony."

"Hey." Tony stroked each of her high cheeks with his rough, oil-stained thumbs. "I'll come back for you. I promise. Now…speaking of coming…" He rocked his hips quickly, shaking them as deftly as a Spanish dancer (who, Tony knew from experience, were excellently limber). He was glad he didn't have any chest hair, or Pepper would have ripped it out, as she dragged her nails across his chest. "Jesus! You haven't done this in a _long _time, have you?"

Pepper gasped by way of response, droplets of sweat and vodka scented saliva hitting his chest in tiny splashes. When he established a decent rhythm, Tony let his hands slide from her freckled hips to her thin ribcage, feeling her tremor under his push.

"Easy Pep." He whispered into her neck, "Easy…" He was incredibly pleased to note that her sweat smelled sweet, and he kissed her throat.

Pepper threw her arms around his neck, the metallic casing of her right arm cold against his skin. It still perturbed him that she was taller than he was, her slick chin brushing against his cheek, probably rubbing raw from his stubble. Tony loved sweat, and when he was covered in it, slick as oil, he was thrilled as could be.

"I know you're supposed to be resting…" He said in short breaths. "But, um…I don't think we can stop for a while…Think you can keep up?"

Pepper pulled back, her wet hair sticking to his shoulders and her cheeks and neck. "Don't…underestimate me…Tony Stark…I know…where you…live." She sat down on him harder and Tony, unprepared for such an attack (and for the first time in his life), came almost instantaneously. He gasped in shock and looked to Pepper. She grinned evilly. "Ha."

"Again."

….

Tony rolled over as his cell phone began to ring loudly. He resisted the urge to smash it as Pepper moved closer to him, wearing the shirt he had discarded not long ago. Grudgingly, he picked up the phone simply to silence it.

"Hello, itsy bitsy spider."

"Why is it that I _despise_ every nickname you give me?" Natasha spat. "Are you naked? I swear to god, Tony Stark, do you have even an ounce of shame? I could have gone my whole life without even imagining you naked."

"You're just jealous." Tony yawned. "Is this important? I'm kind of busy, as you can see." He squeezed Pepper's thin shoulders.

"Do you bed all your secretaries?" Natasha asked. "If so, I'm glad I quit."

"Um, I fired you, and no. I try not to mix business with pleasure. I knew you were jealous."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I don't know how she can stand you. Anyway, I have some news for you that might be…alarming. Clint and I have been trying to contact you for _days _now and…well, when we arrived at your house, the suspect, Spymaster…well, he wasn't there, Tony." Tony felt as though he had turned to ice, and clutched Pepper closer. "We searched the perimeter and there was absolutely no sign of him. We still don't know who he is or who hired him."

"I see." Tony said coldly. He had been a fool. He was sure the shock that Spymaster had received would have been enough to kill him. He had been so focused on getting Pepper to safety…That was his only concern. "I'll help you out as soon as I can. No matter how many times he comes for Pepper, no matter who does, I'll keep her safe."

Natasha twisted her full lips. "Being noble doesn't suit you."

"I know, right?" Tony grinned widely. "Now will you go away? I'm busy."

"You do not sound nearly as concerned as I thought you would."

Tony shrugged. "He got what he wanted from me. He knows my weakness and now he can sell that information to whomever he likes. Pepper beat the man they sent to kill her; I sincerely doubt whoever behind this is any match for me. Still…I'd like to break a few more of his bones, so I'll help you."

Natasha looked torn between admiration and disgust. "I can't believe you…"

"Yes, well have been known to get perturbed when people touch my things. Bye, Nat."

"_Fuck you_!" She spat.

"Too late." Pepper murmured with a small smile as Tony hung up the phone. "I beat her to it."

"Did you hear all of that?" Tony asked, toying with an unruly wave of her hair. "Don't worry. I don't intend to leave you alone for a while. I'll make sure that bastard never comes near you again."

"Trust me, you provide me with ten times the worry any assassin could cause." Pepper replied saucily, flicking Tony's arc reactor with her fingernail. "Besides, I'm the one who electrocuted him, not you. If anything, I should be guarding you." Tony grinned at her vivacity and kissed her freckled forehead. "I'm more worried for Jane and Elizabeth. What if they're targeted next?"

Tony considered the temperaments of their respective lovers. "Shit's going to be destroyed."

"Exactly. We should take defensive action to ensure that neither of them are attacked." Pepper began to search for her phone, as she regained her businesslike mindset, despite the fact that she was not wearing any pants. "Maybe we could house them at Stark Tower?"

Tony was hesitant to agree, but since both the women were scientists… "I'm sure it would fluster Cap. And I'd love to have a _ménage a trois_, if that's what you're insinuating. Who do you prefer?"

Pepper looked up at him with one red eyebrow raised and he kissed her again.

"You know, Tony. One day when I catch you sleeping with another woman, I will leave you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Tony scoffed, repositioning himself so that she was resting on his lap. "I won't be sleeping with other women from now on. And as if I'd ever let you leave me. I could always hunt you down and bring you back." He could practically hear Pepper's eyes rolling as he stroked the fine hairs on the nape of her neck. "And aside from that, I erm…I put a tracking device on you." Her eyes flashed. "Just a tiny one!"

"_TONY_!" Pepper screamed.

Tony laughed.


End file.
